Executive summary

Mobile subscribers grow at a moderate pace in Afghanistan

Afghanistan continues to be confronted by the challenges. The political and civil stability of the country is a dark cloud hanging over the country; and is a particular threat to the effectiveness of the telecommunications network and the viability of the telecommunications sector.

By 2017 despite the positive signs of a civil society taking shape, the country was still suffering from the ongoing conflict and multiple difficulties in administering the nation. After many years of war and civil strife, an encouraging aspect of the country’s efforts to rebuild has been the considerable success evident in the creating of a functional telecommunications sector virtually from nothing.

Internet penetration in Afghanistan remains very low although has increased significantly over the past five years, increasing from 3% in 2011 to 13% in 2016. Penetration is predicted to increase to over 15% by 2018. Fixed broadband penetration remains very low in Afghanistan at less than 0.1%

Afghanistan has a highly competitive mobile market that continues to flourish despite the background of the ongoing conflict throughout the country. The mobile sector has been boosted by the absence of effective fixed-line alternatives. There are five mobile operators competing in Afghanistan’s telecom sector. Between them they claimed a total of more than 25 million subscribers, with an overall mobile penetration of 80% The market is predicted to grow moderately over the next five years to 2021 increasing to reach penetration of between 86% and 95%.

By 2017, there were over two million 3G mobile broadband subscribers in the country. In mid 2016 the MCIT reduced the cost of international bandwidth by 20%, in a move to lay the groundwork for the introduction of 4G services in the future.